#WordPress…what the…? 1:32pm update

Okay, this time I’ve been taking screenshots to prove I’m not going nuts. The timestamp of the first one shows 12:47 pm – i.e. just before lunch here in Oz:

The second one is timestamped 1:36 pm – i.e. just after lunch in Oz. The advert in the sidebar is not the same, but it does duplicate the one below my post:

Something, or perhaps someone, is playing funny buggers, and I’m not impressed. I left a complaint on the WordPress.com forum, but until I receive a proper resolution to this issue, I’m going to keep posting updates about it.

Apologies, everyone, but I’m so angry there’s steam coming out of my ears.

Meeks

Sunday, February 4, 2016. This is beyond a joke. When I logged into my blog ten minutes ago, the advert was back, even longer than before. I started updating this post and decided I needed a screenshot. Viewed my site again, and the advert gone, again.

Am I going mad?

If anyone viewed my blog in the last 8 hours, could you please let me know whether there was a long, blue advert in the sidebar?

Honestly, I am starting to feel as if WordPress has it in for me. Am I too outspoken? Have I been too critical? Or am I being not-so-subtly pushed to upgrade from free to paid?

I don’t want to think so. I would really like to think there is a reasonable explanation. I would really, really like to think that WordPress is a company with too much integrity to play underhand tricks like this, because just at the moment it feels a lot like…coercion? standover tactics?…blackmail?

Meeks

I’m not sure how it happened, but that advert I was complaining about has disappeared, and I have my sidebar back. -dance-

When you run a free blog, you have to accept some advertising.

After all, the company that runs the platform that makes that free blog possible have to recoup their costs somewhere.

Until very recently, that ‘somewhere’ was just after my blog posts.

Now, I have this:

Right at the top of the page, taking up PRIME realestate in my no.1 sidebar. That’s the spot where I put all my important widgets, the ones I want visitors to see, even if they don’t see anything else. That is my critical spot. Now it has a great big advert. in it.

But that’s not all. The same advert. also appears at the bottom of the post, along with a second one for some other company so visitors to my blog are hit with three adverts, coming at them from all sides. Nothing discreet about this!

I was furious and clicked the ‘Report this ad’ button’ which is why it now has just a placeholder. But is this enough? Or will this disgusting placement simply return tomorrow or the day after?

What the hell were you thinking, Workpress?

Fair use is one thing. Blatant exploitation of my blog, to the detriment of my blog, is another. This is a step too far.

Soooooo not happy WordPress. 😦

Meeks

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About acflory

I am the kind of person who always has to know why things are the way they are so my interests range from genetics and biology to politics and what makes people tick.
For fun I play online mmorpgs, read, listen to a music, dance when I get the chance and landscape my rather large block.
Work is writing. When a story I am working on is going well I'm on cloud nine. On bad days I go out and dig big holes...
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35 responses to “#WordPress…what the…? 1:32pm update”

Hmm…that was one hell of a review of Pinker’s new book, and I find myself reluctantly approving. Nevertheless, despite his post-Microsoft humanitarian behaviour, I refuse to forgive Gates for how he became the man he is.
You may not be old enough to remember the early 80’s, but I was in a computer business with my ex and I remember how ruthless Gates was in eliminating all competition. Those he couldn’t buy out, he destroyed, and in the process he killed off some excellent software that could have made pc’s better, faster.
And finally, Gates was not an innovator although he gets the credit for a hell of a lot of good ideas. If you don’t believe me, look up the history of Microsoft.

The ads saga continues. First up this morning the ad was back. Ten minutes later it was gone. So very unhappy. I don’t have much money to spare but I /could/ pay to be adv. free, but I won’t cave to coercion. I’d rather move my blog somewhere else. And I’ll kick up an almight stink before I go. 😦

I suspect WP are experimenting AGAIN, Meeks – they’ve been doing double ads under posts, pop-up ads that interfere with reading posts until they time out, ads at the top, bottom and side of posts…
I recently complained to them about the Online Gambling ads that stared showing up under my blog posts, explaining to them that gambling is a MAJOR issue in UK nowadays and I objected – They still appear, but not with the same frequency…

Ugh…that does not bode well. I started out hoping this was an ‘error’, an oopsie that would be rectified with minimal fuss. Now I realise this is just the beginning of a fight.
As I wrote in my update, I will NOT give in to standover tactics. If they had /asked/, or given me any kind of choice in this, I would have responded in a reasonable manner. But this is too much like holding my blog for ransom. Not on.

Ah, sorry, replying to comments in reverse order. I think Pinky’s right, you probably have an ad blocker that stops them all from showing up. Just as a matter of interest, can you see any of the stuff that should be where the ad./white space is on the right hand side?

I’ve noticed this on several WordPress blogs today. It definitely pops right out at us (though I didn’t see it on yours). I pay the fee to have no advertising so I don’t have it on my blog, but I can see where it would be frustrating for you.

By the way, I finished reading Book 1 of Innerscape. Wow! You blew me away. What a great story. I’ll get a review up on Amazon and Goodreads this weekend. Such a good story and great writing too.

Gah…is that what this is all about? WordPress pushing me to take on more paid options? -grinds teeth-
I already pay a yearly charge so I can have more space for graphics files. Not sure I’m prepared to pay ‘blood money’ just to get my blog back. 😦